Side effects of short-term 10,000-lux light therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Previous reports of side effects from light therapy were mostly based on administration of 2,500-lux treatments. It has become common practice to use brighter, 10,000-lux exposure when treating seasonal affective disorder. The authors studied side effects produced by short-term 10,000-lux light therapy.


METHODS
Seventy subjects with seasonal affective disorder who underwent brief 10,000-lux light therapy were asked to report side effects.


RESULTS
Of the 70 subjects, 32 (45.7%) experienced side effects, and nine (12.9%) reported two or more apiece. Headaches and eye or vision problems were the most common. Almost all were mild, were transient, and did not interfere with treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term 10,000-lux light therapy often produces side effects early in treatment. These are not serious or prolonged, however, confirming findings from earlier studies that used dimmer light.
Kogan
A O
AO
Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, Mich., USA.
Guilford
P M
PM
D000328:Adult; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D010789:Phototherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012107:Research Design; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology